NOCTURNAL RITES - New World Messiah
April 2, 2004, 20 years ago
(Century Media)
The latest from this Swedish quintet will not disappoint. They have been slowly (and wisely) moving off the well-worn path of predictability that has inflicted the power metal genre of late. As with their prior releases Nocturnal Rites has shown great versatility on New World Messiah. Rather than bombard you with a full on double-kick attack on every track, they have chosen to mix in progressive and, dare I say, melodic hard rock moments as well. The end result is brilliant. Kinda like watching an exotic car go by at less than full tilt; you can appreciate the beauty but know that under the hood rages a beast. Sure, there are straight-on power metal moments like the neck-snapping 'Avalon' and the title track. But more often than not these guys know how to create "epic" tracks without indulging in drawn-out ten minute songs (longest here is just over five minutes). The Middle Eastern-flavoured 'Egyptica' and the anthemic 'The Flame Will Never Die' are two great examples of this epic feel. In fact, the latter is one of the finest melodic metal tracks this reviewer has heard in years, with its powerful vocals, killer crunch guitars, and catchy chorus. Fantastic release from start to end.
